[122] The Voyage of Columbus, in Poems by Samuel Rogers. Mr. Rogers's note on the passage above quoted is: "Among those who went with Columbus were many adventurers and gentlemen of the court. Primero was then the game in fashion. See Vega, p. 2, lib. iii, c. 9."
[123] "Y porque decimos, que estos Españoles jugavan, y no hemos dicho con què; es de saber, que despues que en la sangrienta battalla de Manvila los quemaron los naypes, que llevavan con todo lo demàs que alli perdieron, hacian naypes de pergamino, y los pintavan à las mil maravillas; porque en qualquiera necessidad que se los ofrescia, se animavan à hacer lo que avian menester. Y salian con ello, como si toda su vida huvieran sido Maestros de aquel oficio; y porque no podian, ò no querian hacer tantos, quantos eran menester, hicieron los que bastavan, sirviendo por horas limitadas, andando por rueda entre los jugadores; de donde (ò de otro paso semejante) podriamos decir, que huviese nascido el refràn, que entre los Tahures se usa decir jugando: Demonos priesa señores, que vienen por los naypes; y como los que hacian los nuestros eran de cuero, duravan por peñas."—La Florida del Inca [Garcilasso de la Vega], Parte Primera del Libro Quinto, capitulo i, p. 198. Folio, Madrid, 1723.
[124] "Also I order and command that there be a care that all soldiers have their room clean, and unpestered of chests, and other things, without consenting in any case to have cards; and, if there be any, to be taken away presently: neither permit them to the mariners; and if the soldiers have any, let me be advertised."—Orders set down by the Duke of Medina to be observed in the Voyage towards England, 1588; reprinted in the Harleian Miscellany.
[125] Strutt, who quotes this passage in his Sports and Pastimes, refers to Sir William Forrest, and Warton's History of English Poetry, vol. iii, sect. iii, p. 311. Sir William Forrest's work, entitled 'The Poesye of Princelye Practise,' was written towards the conclusion of the reign of Henry VIII, and presented to Edward VI. The author allows that a king, after dinner, may for a while "repose" himself at tables, chess, or cards; but denies the latter to labouring people. Strutt says that the work is in manuscript, in the Royal Library.
[126] Sir Robert Baker, in his Chronicle, states that in the eighteenth year of Henry VIII a proclamation was made against all unlawful games, so that in all places, tables, dice, cards, and bowls were taken and burnt; but that this order continued not long, for young men, being thus restrained, "fell to drinking, stealing conies, and other worse misdemeanours."
[127] Furny—French, fourni—prepared, sorted, furnished, in complete fashion, in full equipage. The card was a coat card, in a certain sense, though certainly not an honour.
[128] For some account of the author of this satire, the reader is referred to Annals of the English Bible, by Christopher Anderson, vol. i, pp. 63, 116, 136, 137. 8vo, 1845.
Privy Purse Expenses of the Princess Mary, daughter of King Henry VIII, afterwards Queen Mary. With a Memoir of the Princess, and Notes, by Fred. Madden, Esq., F.S.A. 1831. From the following references in the index, the reader may judge of Mary's partiality to the game.
"Cards, money delivered to the Princess to play at, p. 3, 10, 11, 14, 19, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 35, 49, 50, 55, 57, 59, 67, 69, 73, 76, 81, sæpe, 101."